Coal-washing apparatus.



E. G. BURKS & N. HAYES.

COAL WASHING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.16.1915- Patented Oct. 10,1916.

3 $HEETS-SHEET l llll ' [NVENTOR3 E. G. BURKS & N. HAYES. I

COAL WASHING APPARATUS.

5 A m m 11 N )T mm M mwm es t3 n Au t a D1 w. w w M m .7? S 1 5 1 E 2 ,n1 W Afformy E. G. BURKS & N. HAYES.

COAL WASHING APPARATUS. 7 APPLICATION FILE-D AUG. 16. I915. 1 21 13,Patented 0ct.10,1916.

3 Sl lEETS-SHEET 3- W1 rzvzzssgs [NVEN TOR5 %5W W, LTGBUQKS B y I 110154275 Alforney EUGENE G. BURKS AND NEENIAN HAYES, OF BIRMINGHAM,ALABAMA.

COAL-WASHIN G APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10,1916.

Application fil ed August 16, 1915. Serial No. 45,705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EUGENE G. BURKS and NEENIAN HAYES, citizens of theUnited vStates of America, residing at'Birmingham,

in the county of J efierson and State of Alabama, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Coal-Washing Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to coal washing mechanism wherein a reciprocablejigging apparatus is employed to separate the slate and bone coal fromthe clean coal.

The chief object of our invention is to reduce to a minimum the loss offine coal in washers of the reciprocable jig type by a novel control ofthe water returned from the settling tanks to the jig tanks.

A further object is to adapt our washing mechanism to separate andenrich bone coal so as to convert it into fuel commercially valuable asboiler coal. This we accomplish by the return of the waste water with alarge percentage of fine coal in suspense therein to the bone coalelevator tank wherein the fine coal settles on the bone coal and thebone coal jig tank 7. These two' jig both are taken out by the elevator.

Another distinctive feature of our invention is the arrangement by whichthe water returned to the jig tank through the bone coal elevator isconfined to the jig tank under the bone coal separating jig so that anyfine coal not deposited in its'first passage through the bone coalelevator tank will be inevitably returned to such tank by its settlingin the v bone coal jig-tank and passing therefrom into the bone coal clevator tank with the bone coal.

A further feature of our invention relates to the novel construction ofthe settling tanks and the manner of returning the over-' flow and wastewater from the settling tanks to-the jigs. 1 Our invention furthercomprises the various novel details of construction and arrangements ofparts which are hereinafter more particularly described, reference beinga had tothe accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification,and in which Figure 1 is a plan View of a coal washing apparatus shownwith the jig removed' and the elevators in the settling tanks omitted.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectlon on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 1s an end elevation of the jig box partly broken away to show theparts of the mterior ig mechanism. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on theline 4-4 of Fig. 2, the view being reduced in size. I

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

As anillustrative embodiment of our invention we have shown in thedrawings a washing apparatus comprising a slate jig, a bone coal jlg andan initial settling tank" for the fine coal and a water filteringsettling tank for the lump coal. It will be understood however thatv ourapparatus contemplates the useof a'greater number of jigs and settlingtanks if it bedesired to further refine the treatment of the coal. .Asshown: we employ a reciprocable jig '1 having a foraminous bottom anddivided by an intermediate transverse partition 2 into a forwardcompartment 3 for separating slate from the coal and the bone coal, anda rear compartment 4 forseparating the bone coal from the coal. Suitablegates 5 areprovided for each jig-section and are adjustable to controlthe discharge of slate from jig compartment 3 1nto the slate jig tank 6,and the discharge of bone coal from jig compartment 4 into tanks 6 and 7are of considerable depth and are separated from each other by-atransverse intermediate partition 8- which is lapped at its upper end bya slide plate 9 movable with the jig and serving to further,

' verge similarly toward thebone coal outlet port 13 near thediametrically opposite corner'of the jig box from port 12.

We provide a slate elevator. tank 10 on one side of the jig and a bonecoal elevator tank- 11 on the opposite side of the jig, these twoelevator tanks preferably extending the full length of the jig but aredisconnected from the jig tankexcept through the ports 12 and 13respectively. We provide an elevator 14 for the'slate and an elevator 15for the bone coal, arranging these elevators crosswise of theirrespective tanks and at the ends thereof near the ports 12 and 13. Thelower ends .of the elevators work in pockets 16 and 17 respectively,intowhich the slate and bone coal are discharged from their respectivejig tanks. By this arrangement these elevators will c'ause'a minimumdisturbance of the Water in their respective tanks, which is importantin tank 11. Water is admitted from the upper portion of tank 10 mto igtank 6 by a flap valve 18 disposed within the jig tank and water isadmitted by a flap valve 19 from the tank 11 into the jig tank 7,suitable ports being provided in the side walls of the jig tanksopposite these. flapvalves which open inwardly responsive to the upwardmovements of the jig to draw ina supply of water into the jig tanks. Itshould be noted that there is no communication between tanks 6 and 11.and none between the tanks 10 and 7, it being our purpose to provide twoseparate circulation'systems fgr the return of water to the jig tanks 6and l As the jig is reciprocated by suitable driv ing connections 20 tooperating mechanism (not shown) of any well known type, the water forcedup through its perforatedbottom from tank 6 will carry the coal and bonecoal over the partition 2 and that forced up from tank 7 will carry theclean coal over the lower'end of the jig box and along a chute 21 whichhas a screen 22 in its bottom where it passes over the fine coalsettling tank 23. Beyond thistank'the chute continues with a solidbottom 24 to a point over the center of a settling tank 25, which weterm the. large coal or filtering tank. An endless conveyer 26 is drivenby a power shaft 27 and serves to move the coal over the screen 22 andalong the chute and to discharge it into tank 25. It will be noted thatthese two settling tanks have each a hopper bottom, the four walls ofwhich converge toward wells 28 and 29, respectively.- These wells are ofsubstantial depth and are designed tofit closely around the lower endswill,'of course, necessitate an increase in the size of the buckets tocompensate for the decreased speed. The arrangement of the hopperbottoms and the wells serves to efl'ectively concentrate all settlingcoal into position to be caught by the elevator buckets and lifted out.of the tanks. Each of the settling tanks is provided with a valved cleanout pipe 32.

The circulation of the water between the settling tanks and its returnfrom the settling tanks to the elevator tanks 10 and 11 is provided forin the following manner: A trough 33 passes under the chute 21 and,overhanging the left hand'end of the tank 23 (Fig. 2), extends througheach side of that tank and then at each. end takes a right angle turnand extends along each ,side of both tanks 23 and and then is brought inthrough the side walls atthe right hand end of tank 25 and leads to achute 34 which overhangs the central portionv of the vtank 25. The tank23 has overflowv lips along each side which directthe]Ivvater into theside sections of trough 33. "tsA'l'ieross trough 35 is ,providedbetween"the tanks-23 and 25 and opens at each endinto the trough 33.

It will thus be seenthat the troughs 33 and 35 completely ;surroundltheIfiisti settling tank '23 so that'a] uniform overflow therefrom aboutits entireupp'eri edge is provided into which the lump coal isdischarged from the chute 24 and the overflow'water from the tank 23through the chute 34. This filter compartment is somewhat analogous tothe construction shown in our Letters Patent No. 1,112,976, each filterwall being formed by a pair of spaced perforated plates 38 the spacebetween which is filled in with coal to form a granular bed of from 8 to14 inches in thickness, depending on thefiltering capacity required- Inour present arrangement the filter is designed to handle a considerablevolume of water and it is formed by parallel filter wallsextending fromside to side of the compartment of the tank and from the top to thebottom on the tank on each side of the well 29 therein. Each filter wallis provided with a movable bottom 39 hinged to its respective outerplate 38 and operable by a crank arm 40 which extends through an end of.the. tank .so that these bottom doors can be dropped when desired andthe filtering bed' discharged into the well 29. The cranksareff'counterweighted or otherwise normally held with the doors closed.The tank 25;,be1ng divided by its two filtering walls into threecompartments, it is necessary to provide two-outlets for the filteredwater which percolates from the central Well 37 through the filters intothe two outer compartments of the tank This we accomplish by means ofpipes 41, oneof which leads from each end of the tank and dischargesinto a sump 42 below the tank. We provide a valve'43 in each pipe 41 andthe water from the sump 42 is conveyed by a pipe 44 to a contrifugalpump 45 which elevates it through; a pipe 46 to the upper portion of thetank-10. From'a T-fitting 47 in the lower portion of the pipe 46 a pipe48 leads across under the jig tank up to the upper portion of the tank11 and this pipe Isa normally closed valve 49. By opening Water from thelower portion of thetank 1 levels is to draw ofi water'with varyingper-" this valve 49 the pump 45 will supply clean filtered water tobothtanks' 10 and '11, but

generally the tank 11 is supplied withwaste 23 which flowstherefromthrough a pipe 50 into a sump 51 below the tank '23 and thence through apipe 52 (see Fig 1) to a pump 53 which delivers it through a pipe 54into the'tank ll at a point near the elevator 15.

We provide a pipe '55 which opens into thev bottom of trough 35, and hasa branch connection 55? opening into tank 23 at a point midwaybetween'pipe 50 and the trough 35. We provide valves 56 to control theflow of Water through these several pipes. The object in 1arranging-'these pipes at different centages of fin'e'jcoal therein intothe sump 51 so that-the quantity of fine coal deposited on the bone coalin tank 11 per unit ofwater pumped therethrough can be regulated. Asmallv quantity of fresh water is added by pipe 58 to maintain thevolume of v circulating water. This pipe is arranged to same bein sprayWater into trough 24 0 as to wash the lump coal while-over screen 22,thereby decreasing materially the percentage of fine coal-that finds itswav into the tank 25.

In operation, the jig gates 5, having been adjusted by'the lever 57 andthe crank mechanism controlled thereby, to the ,desiredoperatingposition, the jig is reciprocated and the slate delivered tothe tank .6

and'the bone coal into the tank 7. The slate passes through port 12 intothe slate tank 10 and is carried off bythe'elevator 14 and the bone coalpasses through port -13 into the.

bone coal elevator tank and iscarried off by the elevator 15, The coaland overflow water from the ji'g'pass along chute121 and over'screen 22through which the fine coal Y and water fall into the settling tank 23,

'While the larger coal is delivered from the chute 24 into the well 37in the settling tank- 25. -The fine coal settles'to the bottom of thetank 23 and is removed therefrom by the elevator 30 and the larger coalis removed from the well 37 of settling tank 25 by the elevator 31. Asthus operated a large percentage'of very fine coal will be in suspensein the water in settling tank 23 and this line coal is usually losteither bybeing carrled off with the waste water or, asi'nthe case of theStewart jigs,by' being introduced into the jig tank below the jigwhereit settles and passes off with the slate. According to ourmventi'onfthis fine coal, that would be lost in the manner'described, issaved,".the carried with the return circula- I tion of dirty water fromtank 23 through pipe 50 into the sump 51 and thence through i e52 pum 53and pipe54 into'the bone-- 081 elevator tank 11. In this-tank '11. the

dirty water with the fine coal in suspense'i's brought very nearly torest so that the fine tank 11 and be carried out with the bone adaptedto different kinds of coal.

and iscarried out with the bone coal, there by enriching the latter tothe'extent neces sary to ,make it available for boiler coal, If thereshould be agitation in tank 11 causing an appreciable percentage. of thefine coal to pass with the. water supply" through valve-19 into tank 7it willsettle in this tank and pass out through port 13 back to thecoal. It will thus be seen that the dirty water returned from the sump51 will ultimately deposit all" of its fine coal in the elevator tank 11so thatit will berecovered and taken off with'the bone coal. Thewaterafter 'settlingin the tank 23 overflows about the top thereof andpasses through the coal is deposite'd in the bottom of the tank I trough33 and chute 34 into the 'Well 37 in not be lost. If, for any reason, itshould be desired tojinterrupt' the return circulation through pump 53,such return circulation can all be passed through'trough33 and thefilterto pump 45 and by operating valve 49 the bone coal tank; 11 -willbe supplied with 45 having a capacity cleanwater, the pumg th t I k 10 du o v an s an su'flicient to supply when called upon.v Also, ifdesired,-the over fiowwater from tank'23 can be passed di rect to sump51 and thence to tank 11., Our piping system enables us. to obtain an'ex-- tremely flexible control of the Water return 7 p I circulations sothat the same can be readily .A divisional I requirement having beenmade with reference to the detail construc- 1 tion ofjthe filteringtank, the wells for the elevators in both tanks and the overflow trougharrangement for. these tanks, such features are not separately claimed.herein.

' .Having thus described our invention, what 7 We claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is :fi v 1 In 'acoalwasher, jigs,one of which is adapted toseparatethe'slate from'the coal and another toseparate thebonecoal from ,the'coal, separate jig tanks for, the bonecoal 1 and slate. separate elevator tanks for the slate andbone'coahmeans to admit a return v ci'rculation of water between theelevator tank and jig tankforthe, bone coal, means Ltoadmita returncirculation ,of water betwe n theelevatorl tank and ji tank for theslate, {ad-pluralityof settling tanks, 1 jmeansto'. deliver the finecoal and overflow water from' the; ljigs into one-settling tank and.thei larger, coal into another'settling tank, means 'to return the waterfrom the 130 I large coal tank to the slate elevator tank,

means to return the Water and fine coal, that would otherwise pass 0Ewith the waste water, to the elevator tank for the bone coal, andelevating means in said elevator tanks.

2. In a coal washing apparatus, the combination with separate jig tanks,of jigs successively acting on the coal and adapted to deliver slateinto one of the tanks and bone coal into another of the tanks, a slateelevator tank communicating with one jig tank, a bone coal elevator tankcommunicating with the other jig tank, a plurality of settling tanks,means to deliver the fine coal into one of the tanks and the larger coalinto another of the tanks, elevators for said settling tanks, means toconduct the overflow from the fine coal tank into the large coal tank,filters in the large coal tank, means to return the filtered water fromthe large coal tankto the slate elevator tank, and means to returnunfiltered dirty water from the fine coal tank to the bone coal elevatortank.

3. In a coal washer, the combination with a jig, a jig tank and anelevator tank for slate, of a jig, a jig tank and an elevator tank forbone coal, a fine coal settling tank, a large coal settling tank, meansto distribute coal to said tanks, means to conduct the overflow waterfrom the fine coal to the large coal settling tank, means to returnwater from the large coal tank to the slate elevator tank and, to returndirty water from the fine coal tank to the bone coal elevator tank, andautomatic valves controlling the flow of water from said elevator tanksto their respective ji tanks, responsive to the operation of the igs,and elevators for said several tanks excepting the jig tanks,substantially as described. I

4. In a coal washing apparatus, the combination with jigging mechanism,of a plurality of overflow tanks, means to distribute the fine coal fromsaid mechanism to one of said tanks and the large coal to another ofsaid tanks, a filter in the large coal tank forming an elevator wellinto which the large coal is fed, means to conduct an overflow of waterfrom the fine coal-tank into the filter well with the large coal, andmeans to draw oil filtered Water from the large coal tank and return itto the jigging mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a coal washing ap aratus, the combination with jigging mec anism,of a plurality of overflow tanks, means to distribute the fine coal fromsaid mechanism to one of said tanks and the large coal to another ofsaid tanks, a filter in the large c'oal tank forming an elevator wellinto which the large coal is fed, means to conduct an overflow of waterfrom the fine coal tank into the filter well in the large coal tank,means to draw of? filtered water from the lar e coal tank and return itto the jigging mec mit water from said anism, and independent means toreturn dirty water from the fine coal tank to the jiggin apparatus,substantially as describe 6. The. combination with a coal washingapparatus comprising a jig for separating bone coal from coal, a jigtank, an elevator tank communicating wlth' said jig tank, which latteris adapted to deliver the bone coal and other matter into said elevatortank, of an automatic valve responsive to the operation of thejigandadapted to adelevator tank to said jig tank, a settling tank whichreceives the overflow from the jigs, and means to return dirty waterfrom the settling tank into said bone coal elevator tank, and elevatorsin said elevator tank and settling tank, substantially as described.

7 In combinationa coal washing apparatus, settling tanks comprising afine coal settling tank, a large coal settling tank, a

filtering well for said large coal tank, means the washing apparatus,and means to re' turn the dirty waste water from said fine coal tankthrough said latter elevator tank to the Wa hing apparatus,substantially as described. 7

'to introduce the overflow from the fine coal 8. In a coal washingapparatus, the combination with jigging mechanism, of a plurality ofoverflow tanks, means to distribute the fine coal from said mechanism toone of said tanks and the large coal to another of said tanks, a filterin the large coal tank, means to conduct an overflow of water from thefine coal tank into the filter, and means to draw ofi filtered waterfrom the large coal tank and return it to the jigging mechanism,substantially as described.

9. In a settling. apparrtus for coal washers, the combination of twotanks and an elevator for each tank, jigging means, means to deliverfine coal and overflow water from the jigs to one tank, means to deliverthe larger coal to the second tank, a filtering compartment formed insaid second tank by means of perforated walls and a granular filler,said walls surrounding and separating the elevator from the rest of saidtank, meansto conduct the overflow water from said fine coal tank intosaid filtering compartment, into which the large coal is also delivered,and means to draw ofi unfiltered water from the first tank and filteredwater from the second tank, substantially as described. Y

transversely into two compartments, one for jig .tank only, and means tosupply water to 10 said elevator tanks, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof We alfix our signatures. v EUGENE G. BURKS.

NEENIAN HAYES. Witness:

NOMIE WELSH.

